Low-Earth Orbit Satellite Mission Could Land at Grand Forks Air Force Base

GRAND FORKS, N.D. — Sen. John Hoeven is working to help bring a new low-Earth orbit satellite mission to Grand Forks Air Force Base.

The Space Development Agency testified about the effort during a hearing of the Senate Defense Appropriations Committee.

Hoeven is working to secure funding to get the center going by 2024.

Hoeven and Senator Kevin Cramer talked about a satellite operations center with Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Charles Brown, Jr. during his visit to Grand Forks in February.

“And then the second step would be to make the base one of the key links between the satellite fleet and our military unmanned aircraft,” said Hoeven.

The Space Development Agency director has committed to visiting North Dakota again later this spring to talk about the process for standing up a satellite operations facility at the base.